Why was Deku’s Smash removed from Fortnite?

That's not very Plus Ultra of you, Epic.

Screengrab via Epic Games

The developer of Fortnite, Epic Games, has shown an incredible ability to network with other media brands and convince them to put their characters inside the battle royale. While we already had plenty of collaborations throughout 2022, Epic has closed out the year with one final big anime collab and weapon with My Hero Academia and Deku’s Smash.

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But as of last night, Deku’s Smash, the vending machines, and the challenges have been removed from the game. Here’s all the information you need to know about why Deku’s Smash was removed from Fortnite.

Why did Epic remove Deku’s Smash in Fortnite?

The short answer is that we don’t know the reason why Epic removed the item, with the developer simply saying in a tweet that it was removed due to an issue. The devastating weapon has come under criticism from some of the community, while others have been commenting on how much they enjoy the intense power of the attack.

Some users have claimed that the flashing lights that are a part of the ability are a risk for epileptic players, so removing it was a health precaution. While plausible, there’s no real confirmation from Epic that this is the reason why the item was disabled. If this was the case, it would be safe to assume the item won’t be coming back soon.

The item might not be coming back at all anyway, with the My Hero Academia collab expected to end on Dec. 29, right before the New Year. Epic is currently out of the office until at least early January to celebrate the winter holidays, which means there is likely only a skeleton crew around to resolve issues right now.

While this is likely disappointing to many users, it will likely come as a huge Christmas miracle to all the fans who thought Deku’s Smash was broken or overpowered. Whether or not it returns, these players are likely happy for a break.

That’s all the information you need to know about why Epic removed Deku’s Smash from Fortnite.

Author
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Christian Harrison
Christian is a freelance writer of five years who's been with Dot Esports for over 15 months covering Fortnite, general gaming, and news. Some of his favorite games include Yakuza 0, The Witcher III, Kingdom Hearts 2, and Inscryption.